How to Trim a Pygmy Palm Plant

Native to southern China, Vietnam, Laos and Africa, pygmy palm trees (Phoenix roebeleni), also known as miniature date palms, are attractive landscape plants, flourishing in USDA hardiness zones 10 to 12. The pygmy palm is adaptable to container growing and is often used as an interior house plant. These slow growing-palm trees offer deep green foliage that requires little care or maintenance. This palm tree does require plenty of sunshine and lots of water.

Things You'll Need

• Garden gloves
• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Put on tough leather gardening gloves. The pygmy palm has very sharp spines that easily cut the skin.

2. Use sharp, clean pruning shears to avoid tearing or ripping the leaves and to prevent transferring a fungus, parasite or disease from another plant. Make angled cuts, so that the remnants of old leaves form a diamond pattern.

3. Trim dried or dead palm fronds by cutting them off as close to the trunk of the palm as possible. A pygmy palm fares best if you only trim withered and brown leaves, allowing the remainder of the plant to grow in a natural manner. If the palm produces "pups," or suckers (which are tiny protruding growths), remove these with the roots intact and plant in another pot or in a warm, sunny outdoor location.

References

• Tree Help: Pygmy Palm Tree
• Plant Care: Dwarf Date Palm, Minature Date Palm, Pygmy Date Palm

Resources

• Indoor Palm Trees: Pygmy Date Palm